As Stanford embarks on its next-to-last road trip of the season, things are looking up for the Cardinal.

If they beat Washington on Wednesday at 6 p.m., they'll have three straight wins and seven in their last nine games.

But winning on the road doesn't come easily for anybody in the Pac-12. Across the board, home teams have won 33 of the last 42 and are 45-19 (.703) in conference play. Washington in particular thrives on home cooking. The Huskies are 1-6 on the road in Pac-12 play and 4-0 at home.

If the Cardinal (15-7, 6-4 Pac-12) are going to secure another much-needed road win or two this week - they play at Washington State on Saturday at 4 p.m. - they may well need some help from their bench.

So far, though, the reserves haven't contributed a lot this season, fewer than 10 points in 12 games, and nobody knows that more than John Gage, the sharpshooting 6-foot-10 senior.

"We're not as deep as we have been in the past," he said. "Part of the reason the bench production has fallen off is that we're using a new offense this year, the triangle. It puts more pressure on the starters because they're more skilled passers.

"I'm more of a role player. When I come in the game, my job is mainly to shoot."

That is, shoot the three. Gage was the Pac-12's top three-point shooter last year at 44.6 percent. This season he's shooting even better, 20 for 41 (48.8 percent), but he's behind Oregon State's Hallice Cook (55.2) and Oregon's Jason Calliste (50). In Pac-12 games, Gage is shooting 50 percent (11 for 22).

He's the leading scorer among the reserves, although his average points (3.8) and minutes (11.3) have dipped from last season's 5.8 and 13.1. Still, he has long since reached the point that any time he's given an uncontested look from three-point range, it's a mystifying defensive lapse.

"John's been great," coach Johnny Dawkins said. "He has a big role for us, a senior coming off the bench. We want to find him when he gets into the game."

Dawkins says Gage has improved in every facet. "He handles pressure a lot better," he said. "Defensively he's a lot stronger because of the years of maturity and his understanding of what we're doing. He's one of our leaders."

Gage will make his last appearance in his home area of Seattle - he's from Vashon Island, Wash. - but says he'll be no more motivated than he is in any other game. "Honestly, it doesn't put any more pressure on me," he said. "We all just focus on the next game, no matter where it is."

Injury report: Sophomore Rosco Allen won't play on this trip because he's not fully recovered from a stress fracture in his foot. Dawkins said a redshirt year may soon be discussed.